There are many drivers of chronic pain, however one that often gets overlooked as a treatment option is what and how we eat. Our diet can be used as a treatment intervention to alter things like how the level of inflammation in our body, and whether our body has the nutrients (i.e the building blocks) it needs to restore soft tissues, bones and nerves. Many chronic pain patients have diets that are nutrient poor, or drive the metabolism in a way that facilitates inflammation rather than helping to reduce it.

Solving chronic pain via the kitchen, not the medicine cabinet | Psyche Ideas

Rowena Field has completed a PhD exploring how altering macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates and protein) and providing essential nutrients (or taking out things that are detrimental) could be used as a targeted metabolic therapy for people with chronic pain.

1-hour sessions specifically addressing nutrition and chronic pain can be booked. Please contact rowena@stepp.com.au or 0437575407

PODCASTS & Talks

Dr. Liz Fraser & Dr. Rowena Field – ‘Can a ketogenic diet improve chronic pain?’ – YouTube (poster is here Gold Coast poster presentation – STEPP)

Ketogenic Diet: How It Improves Pain And Central Sensitization With Rowena Field, PhD, M. Physio (integrativepainscienceinstitute.com)

Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets for chronic pain – YouTube

LCMD Podcast Episode 214: Dr. Rowena Field – YouTube

Episode 101 – Can Diet Help With Chronic Pain? (rlmedicine.com)

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT WITH DR ROWENA FIELD – YouTube

How to manage pain better through diet | RNZ

Eating for Pain | Dr Shawn Baker & Dr Rowena Field – YouTube

The Best Diet for Chronic Pain – Dr. Rowena Field Explains – YouTube

2 keto dudes podcast interview

Links to research articles by Dr Rowena Field Ph.D

Turton, J., Brinkworth, G.D., Field, R., Parker, H. and Rooney, K., 2019. An evidence‐based approach to developing low‐carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes management: A systematic review of interventions and methods. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 21(11), pp.2513-2525.

Field, R.J., Pourkazemi, F. and Rooney, K.B., (2020). Participants with chronic pain do not perceive diet as a contributing factor to their pain: A survey-based study. Pain Management 10(3), pp195-205.

Field, R., Pourkazemi, F., Turton, J., & Rooney, K. (2020). Dietary Interventions Are Beneficial for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Pain Medicine. Quick video of this systematic review

Field, R., Field, T., Pourkazemi, F., Rooney, K., (2021). Ketogenic diets and the nervous system: a scoping review of neurological outcomes from nutritional ketosis in animal studies. Nutrition Research Reviews, 1-14. doi:10.1017/S0954422421000214

Field, R., Field, T., Pourkazemi, F., Rooney, K., (2021) Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets: a scoping review of neurological and inflammatory outcomes in human studies and the relevance to chronic pain management. Nutrition Research Reviews. https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S0954422422000087

Field, R., Pourkazemi, F., Rooney K., (2021) Effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on reported pain, blood biomarkers and quality of life in patients with chronic pain: A pilot randomised clinical trial rationale, study design and protocol. European Journal of Integrative Medicine 45:101346.

Field, R., Pourkazemi, F., Rooney K., (2021) Effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on reported pain, blood biomarkers and quality of life in patients with chronic pain: A pilot randomised clinical trial. Pain Medicine DOI: pnab278.

Field, R., Field, T., Pourkazemi, F., Rooney, K., (2021) The experience of participants with chronic pain in a pilot randomised clinical trial of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. Pain Management Pain Manag. 2021;12(3):313-22..

Turton, J., Field, R., Struik, N., Parker, H., Rooney, K., (2021) Formulating Nutritionally Adequate Low-Carbohydrate Diets: An Analysis of the Australian Food Composition Database. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research. 2022;44(1).

Dr Field is involved in ongoing research with the University of Sydney and can be contacted at rowena.field@sydney.edu.au for research related queries.